猫
neko[ne̞ko̞]
The Japanese word for cat is 猫 (neko). Wiktionary also lists 家猫 (ieneko).
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 猫 | neko | [ne̞ko̞] (narrow) [ne̞ko̞ma̠] (narrow) |
| 家猫 | ieneko |
The word is used to refer to the domestic species of cat. Depending on the writing system used, it can be written with the kanji 猫, the hiragana ねこ or the katakana ネコ.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 家猫 (ieneko) is a compound of 家 (ie), meaning house and 猫 (neko), meaning cat.
Which one should you use?
While 猫 is the general term for any cat, 家猫 specifically refers to a domestic house cat.
How do you pronounce it?
neko
Did you know?
- In some ancient Japanese texts, the word 猫 was used interchangeably or even confused with the word for 'raccoon dog' (tanuki).
- The word 猫 is one of the few words that shares the exact same pitch accent pattern in both the Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka dialect groups.
Examples in context
- 私は猫です。I'm a cat.This sentence is useful for practicing the word 猫.Tatoeba #3456487 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #2068371 by shekitten
- 俺は猫かい？Am I a cat?Tatoeba #9963984 by Sim5634, translation #9963970 by DJ_Saidez
- 猫に九生あり。A cat has nine lives.Tatoeba #121984 by KK_kaku_, translation #282019 by CM
- 私は猫が好きです。I like cats.
- その猫は可愛いですね。That cat is cute, isn't it?
- 414 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are looking at a picture of a pet.
- 蓮 Renこの猫はとてもかわいいですね。Kono neko wa totemo kawaii desu ne.This cat is very cute, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても可愛らしいです。Hai, totemo kawairashii desu.Yes, it is very lovely.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵さんは猫が好きですか？Himari-san wa neko ga suki desu ka?Himari, do you like cats?
- 陽葵 Himari大好きです！Daisuki desu!I love them!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries 猫, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 猫, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
